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UMA’s current project focuses on Tibetan expositions of Three Great Indian Books, together with a related theme of the Mind of Clear Light.

The Three Great Indian books are essential Buddhist texts that even today form the basis of philosophical study in Tibetan Monastic Colleges. They are Maitreya’s Ornament for the Clear Realizations, Chandrakīrti’s Supplement to (Nāgārjuna’s) “Treatise on the Middle,” and Dharmakīrti’s Commentary on (Dignāga’s) “Compilation of Valid Cognition.”

The Three Great Indian Books are taught in a variety of ways, but primarily with textbooks, exploring detailed issues through exposition and debate. Each Monastic College has its preferred textbook author; UMA translations focus on Jam-yang-shay-pa (1648-1721) together with commentaries by the Mongolian author Ngag-wang-pal-dan (b. 1767) and others. To date UMA has published thirty-three annotated translations of textbook literature (free for downloading), including a treatise on the Mind of Clear Light by the Nying-ma scholar Mi-pam-gya-tsho (1846-1912).

UMA's publications offer the most wide-ranging, thoroughly researched, and deeply explorative body of work ever to appear in English about these indispensible repositories of Buddhist philosophical thought. And we are determined to publish many more volumes.

This book contains two renditions of Maitreya’s Ornament for the Clear Realizations (abhisamayālaṃkāra; mngon rtogs rgyan). The first has the names and numbers of the seventy topics that form the structure of the poem inserted, and the second has the same topics with the addition of Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s elaborate outline of the text.

This volume contains Maitreya’s entire text with Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s commentary as well as his elaborate outline of the stanzas, valuably revealing the organization of Maitreya’s work, and uncovering its structure like an organizational tree so that a reader can easily see the relation of the parts.

This is an English translation of the textbook studied in the Gomang College of Drepung
Monastery during the first year of the six-year course of study of the topic of the Perfection of
Wisdom, based upon Maitreya’s Ornament for the Clear Realizations. It introduces students to the core vocabulary and systematic layout of the path structure that is the subject of Maitreya’s text.

This translation of Kön-chog-jig-may-wang-po’s Presentation of the Grounds and Paths is enhanced by supplementary commentary, providing extensive contextual explanation, given by the late Dan-ma-lo-chö Rinpoche while teaching at the University of Virginia in 1978. Also added for further understanding are explanations and clarifications of difficult points by Lo-sang-gyal-tshan Rinpoche, Abbot of Gomang College.

This book provides a map detailing the progression to enlightenment. It presents omniscience, knowledge of the paths, and knowledge of the foundation to be developed through practice; it describes the four trainings that are the means of developing those extraordinary wisdoms; and finally it details the attributes of Buddhahood that are the fruit of training. It contains translations of Jam-yang-shay-pa's Eloquent Presentation of the Eight Categories and Seventy Topics along with Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s sub-commentary.

Chinese Translation of The Hidden Teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras: Jam-yang-shay-pa's Seventy Topics, Chapter One, with an introductory preface in English summarizing the subject. It contains Chinese translations of the first chapter of Jam-yang-shay-pa's Eloquent Presentation of the Eight Categories and Seventy Topics along with Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s sub-commentary covering the topic of omniscience.

Chinese Translation of The Hidden Teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras: Jam-yang-shay-pa's Seventy Topics, Chapter Two, with an introductory preface in English summarizing the subject. It contains Chinese translations of the second chapter of Jam-yang-shay-pa's Eloquent Presentation of the Eight Categories and Seventy Topics along with Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s sub-commentary covering the topic of knower-of-paths.

This book provides an inventory of words -- a Tibetan-Sanskrit-English glossary -- containing all the vocabulary to be found in Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Eloquent Presentation of the Eight Categories and Seventy Topics: Sacred Word of Guru Ajita in dictionary format in both Tibetan script and romanization (Wylie). It is followed by a list of the eight categories and seventy topics.

The volume presents an English translation of Jam-yang-shay-pa's 1688 treatise, the Presentation of the Concentrative and Formless Absorptions: Adornment Beautifying the Subduer’s Teaching, Ocean of Scripture and Reasoning, Delighting the Fortunate, commonly called Great Exposition of the Concentrative and Formless Absorptions.

This book provides an English translation of the introductory section of Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Decisive Analysis of Maitreya's "Ornament for the Clear Realizations," a debate-oriented textbook designed to clarify the difficult points of Maitreya's text. The topics addressed in this first volume are sources, the homage, the text's purpose, and Openers of the Chariot-ways.

This is the fourth book in Jeffrey Hopkins’s series on Tsong-kha-pa’s Treatise Differentiating Interpretable and Definitive Meanings: The Essence of Eloquence. It covers the two topics: the Teachings of Akṣhayamati Sūtra on differentiating between what requires interpretation and what is definitive, and how Nāgārjuna expounds on this.

This book contains translation of the Four Reliances section in Jam-yang-shay-pa Ngag-wang-tson-dru’s (1648-1722) Decisive Analysis of (Tsong-kha-pa’s) “Differentiating the Interpretable and the Definitive”, Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s Annotations of fourteen annotations on the Four Reliances section in Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Great Exposition of Tenets, and other texts.

The text translated here is from the second section of Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Great Exposition of the Interpretable and the Definitive. In this text, Jam-yang-shay-pa explores Tsong-kha-pa’s analysis of the Bodhisattva Paramārthasamudgata’s question to Buddha regarding an apparent contradiction in Buddha’s sutras.

The text translated here is another portion from the second section of Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Great Exposition of the Interpretable and the Definitive. In this text, Jam-yang-shay-pa follows up on his treatment of Paramārthasamudgata’s presentation of the apparent crucial contradiction in the Buddha’s teachings. Here Jam-yang-shay-pa focuses on the Buddha’s reply: avoiding contradiction by revealing the purpose and thought behind his statements.

The text translated here is from Jam-yang-shay-pa's Great Exposition of the Middle, exploring (1) what is the 'middle' that Chandrakīrti’s treatise supplements, and (2) how does it supplement that middle? Also included is a translation of Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s commentary on the corresponding portions of Chandrakīrti’s Supplement to (Nāgārjuna’s) “Fundamental Treatise on the Middle Called ‘Wisdom’” as well as the same sections of Tsong-kha-pa’s Illumination of the Thought.

The text translated here is from Jam-yang-shay-pa's Great Exposition of the Middle. The text offers a detailed exploration of two questions: (1) how do Buddhas give birth to Hearers and Solitary Victors, and (2) how are Buddhas born from Bodhisattvas? Also included are translations of Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s commentary on the corresponding portions of Chandrakīrti’s Supplement to (Nāgārjuna’s) “Fundamental Treatise on the Middle Called ‘Wisdom’” (madhyamakāvatāra) as well as the same sections of Tsong-kha-pa’s Illumination of the Thought (dgongs pa rab gsal).

The text translated here is from Jam-yang-shay-pa's Great Exposition of the Middle. The sections translated here treat issues raised in the context of the first seven stanzas of Chandrakīrti’s treatment of the sixth ground ("the Manifest"). The section of Jam-yang-shay-pa's text presented here is concerned with (1) a creative etymology of the ground and indication that the perfection of wisdom is surpassing, (2) praise of the perfection of wisdom, and (3) how the meaning of reality is set forth in scripture.

The text translated here is from Jam-yang-shay-pa's Great Exposition of the Middle. The section translated here is on what is negated in the doctrine of emptiness in general in the Middle Way School and in the Autonomy School, in particular. Jam-yang-shay-pa makes the point that Tsong-kha-pa emphasized what is rejected in the view of emptiness since without clearly identifying what veils the realization of emptiness, one cannot achieve liberation.

The text translated here is from Jam-yang-shay-pa's Great Exposition of the Middle. The section translated here is on what is negated in the doctrine of emptiness in the Consequence School, in particular. In it, Jam-yang-shay-pa focuses on (1) demonstrating that all phenomena are only imputed by conceptuality, (2) explaining that the opposite of existing as only imputation by conceptually is the measure of true establishment, and (3) its relationship to performance of function.

The text translated here is from Jam-yang-shay-pa's Great Exposition of the Middle. Jam-yang-shay-pa’s initial section on the two truths translated here treats the basis of the division into the two truths, the division into the two truths, whether the two truths are one or different, and the individual entities of the two truths. In addition, the corresponding section of Tsong-kha-pa’s Illumination of the Thought is given as well.

The text translated here is from chapter six of Jam-yang-shay-pa's Great Exposition of the Middle. Here, Jam-yang-shay-pa provides two explanations -- short and long -- of the dispute between Buddhapālita and Bhāvaviveka over the refutation of production from self. In addition to Jam-yang-shay-pa, translations from both primary authors, as well as Avalokitavrata’s extensive commentary on Bhāvaviveka are included.

The text translated here is from chapter six of Jam-yang-shay-pa's Great Exposition of the Middle. Here, Jam-yang-shay-pa provides two explanations -- short and long -- of Chandrakīrti’s defense against Bhāvaviveka’s criticism of Buddhapālita’s commentary. Included also is a complete translation of the relevant section of Chandrakīrti’s Clear Words.

The text translated here is Ngag-wang-tra-shi’s The Collected Topics of Epistemology, Volume 1, Chapters 1-12. The text presents in an abbreviated way the process of oral debate practiced daily in the Ge-lug-pa education system. This outline of debates communicates both the specific content that is the subject matter of each chapter and the fundamental procedures of the dialectical system.

The text translated here is the first two major sections of Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Presentation of Awareness and Knowledge. In these sections Jam-yang-shay-pa considers the basic definition of consciousness and then its divisions. On this basis he explains the difference between explicit and implicit realization in the context of direct perception and of inference.

The text translated here is the first section of Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Illuminating a Little the Presentation of Signs and Reasonings. Here the student is introduced to several of the basic concepts of correct reasoning, with a focus on laying the foundation for understanding the necessary relationship between the subject, predicate, and sign in the context of the generation of valid inferential knowledge, leading to direct perception of reality.

Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Root Text of Tenets: Lion’s Roar, published in 1689, is written in unusually terse, sometimes opaque nine-syllable lines and is largely devoid of customary grammatical endings and particles. Consequently, the root text necessitates a commentary to unpack its full meaning. The text translated here is an exploration of these mnemonic verses of Jam-yang-shay-pa's presentation of tenets together with Ngag-wang-pal-dan's Word Commentary.

The text presents the first five of the ten sections on the two truths according to the Consequence School in Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Great Exposition of Tenets together with Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s Annotations. The latter, in some sections, offers a sustained critique of Jam-yang-shay-pa’s positions, advocating a more nuanced presentation.

This first translation into traditional Chinese of Jeffrey Hopkins' Maps of the Profound Middle Way Chapter weaves together passages from Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Great Exposition of Tenets and Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s Annotations to form an accessible, detailed commentary on Jam-yang-shay-pa’s entire root text with Ngag-wang-pel-den’s entire word commentary on it.

This first translation into traditional Chinese of Jeffrey Hopkins' Maps of the Profound Autonomy Chapter weaves together passages from Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Great Exposition of Tenets and Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s Annotations to form an accessible, detailed commentary on Jam-yang-shay-pa’s entire root text with Ngag-wang-pel-den’s entire word commentary on it.

This first translation into traditional Chinese of the Jeffrey Hopkins' Maps of the Profound Consequence Chapter, presents the first half of that chapter culminating in an elaborate detailing of the Buddha’s focal doctrine of dependent-arising, weaving together passages from Jam-yang-shay-pa’s Great Exposition of Tenets and Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s Annotations.

This is an annotated translation of Mi-pam Gya-tsho's Analysis of Fundamental Mind (gnyug sems la dpyad pa) on the system of the Great Completeness (rdzogs chen). This is the second book in Jeffrey Hopkins's series on Fundamental Mind, following Fundamental Mind: the Nying-ma View of the Great Completeness (Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2006).

This is an annotated translation of Mi-pam Gya-tsho's Analysis of Fundamental Mind (gnyug sems la dpyad pa), chapters 1-2 on the view of the Great Completeness (rdzogs chen). This is the third book in Jeffrey Hopkins's series on Fundamental Mind, following Fundamental Mind: the Nying-ma View of the Great Completeness (Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2006).

Chinese Translation of The Hidden Teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras: Jam-yang-shay-pa's Seventy Topics, Chapter Three, with an introductory preface in English summarizing the subject. It contains Chinese translations of the third chapter of Jam-yang-shay-pa's Eloquent Presentation of the Eight Categories and Seventy Topics along with Ngag-wang-pal-dan’s sub-commentary covering the topic of knower-of-paths.

This trilingual dictionary consists of over 20,000 entries dealing primarily with Buddhist philosophy. Arising from the experiences of a group of translators who worked with Jeffrey Hopkins over the course of five decades, the Dictionary reflects the results of the process of translation rather than an attempt to include as many words as possible from the Tibetan language.